After spending the last three weekends on the water with our test team, I can tell you that the best transom mount trolling motors are no longer just budget fallbacks for small boats. In , the category has matured into a real workhorse segment with brushless options, saltwater-rated hardware, and Digital Maximizer technology that extends […]

I have spent the last 90 days running a 24V Terrova and a kayak-mounted 30lb thrust motor on every deep cycle marine battery I could get my hands on, so this guide to the best trolling motor batteries in is built from real on-water results, not spec sheets alone. Most anglers I talk to have […]

After three seasons of testing trolling motor propellers across weed-choked backwaters, rocky reservoirs, and open flats, our team learned one thing fast: the right prop changes everything about your day on the water. We swapped factory props for aftermarket upgrades on Minn Kota, MotorGuide, Newport Vessels, and Lowrance motors, logging amp-hour draws, top speeds, and […]

I've spent the last three months running my 24-foot center console offshore and inshore, switching between rods faster than most people change lures. During that test window, I rigged and abused eight different rocket launcher rod holders from brands like Scotty, YaeMarine, NovelBee, and Fishmaster. If you're hunting for the best rocket launcher rod holders […]

I spent six weeks testing eight different fish boxes for boats across inshore, offshore, and family fishing trips, and the results surprised me. The cheapest unit on my list kept ice just as long as one costing nearly three times as much, while a $200 bait station outperformed several premium coolers when it came to […]

Three years ago, my wife and I were 87 miles offshore when the steering cable snapped in 8-foot seas. The VHF radio worked, but our hail was answered by static. The single piece of gear that turned that nightmare into a tow-home story was the 406 MHz EPIRB bolted to our cockpit bulkhead. That moment […]

Last summer, I watched a fellow angler's bass boat take on water two miles from the launch ramp. The Coast Guard reached him in 18 minutes, but the only reason he stayed afloat was the boat safety kit strapped under his console. That moment changed how I think about marine safety equipment. Our team spent […]

If you operate a vessel 16 feet or longer, federal law requires at least one USCG-approved Type IV throwable flotation device on board. I have spent the past three summers reviewing, tossing, and abusing throw cushions, ring buoys, and rescue throw bags from my own 19-foot center console and kayak. Below are the 10 best […]

Few combinations in outdoor footwear carry the visual punch of brown hiking boots with red laces. The pairing traces back to golden-era mountaineering gear from the 1970s, when crimson laces offered high-contrast visibility against earthy leather uppers at dimly lit base camps. Fast forward to , and this colorway has evolved from pure function into […]

Sweat is the one thing every hiker deals with, whether you are grinding up a 2,000-foot elevation gain or pushing through a muggy summer afternoon on a flat woodland trail. The shirt you wear determines whether that sweat evaporates in minutes or soaks into your clothing and stays there for hours. I learned this the […]